Vote For Quy Tran

Preserve Neighborhoods

Pleasant Hill can grow without losing what makes it worth living in. Higher density belongs along transit corridors and underutilized commercial parcels, not pushed into the interior of established neighborhoods. These proposals protect the small-town character District 4 residents value while creating real housing options in the community.

Housing — The Right Scale for District 4

1. Develop higher density options along already established transit corridors and underutilized commercial parcels, not into the interior of established neighborhoods. Maximize existing resources and infrastructure.

1. Expand choices for residents without erasing Pleasant Hill's small-town character. Champion missing Middle Housing in Pleasant Hill that adds housing supply at a neighborhood scale without overwhelming established single family blocks. With strong design standards, these missing middle options expand choices for residents without erasing Pleasant Hill's small-town character.

1. Advocate to make ADUs & JADUs the easiest housing to build in Pleasant Hill. The city’s pre-approved ADU plan program is underutilized. I will push for a paired ADU concierge service with one point of contact, fast track permit issuance, more preapproved styles including two stories which allow for smaller footprint, and clear timelines.

1. Protect District 4 residents’ ability to age in place. I will support accessible home modification programs and oppose displacement-inducing redevelopment of established neighborhoods. I will encourage Home Share programs to connect seniors who have extra space with individuals who require an affordable place. Seniors should be able to stay in the communities they built.

Community Voice in Every Major Decision

1. The October 2025 vote that rezoned 1,000+ parcels in a single meeting was a failure of process, not just policy. Request genuine community process for every significant rezoning or development proposal in District 4. This would include neighborhood meetings with adequate notice, plain-language project descriptions, extended public comment, and documented responses to community concerns before any council vote.

1. Any new development in Pleasant Hill should look and feel like it belongs here including setbacks, massing, materials, and landscaping. I'll support meaningful design standards for new developments. Good design standards are not obstacles, they are what make new buildings something the neighborhood can embrace.

1. Drawing on my Civil Engineering degree, I will ask a simple question of every project: is this neighborhood measurably better for everyone from an 8-year-old to an 80-year-old after this project is built? If not, the design needs to be re-evaluated before it earns my vote.

Protect Greenspaces

As a physician with a civil engineering degree, I understand the intersection of community, environment, and health. As Chair of the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District Board, I have protected these assets.

Defend Paso Nogal Park & District 4 Greenspace

1. Vote against any proposal that converts District 4 parkland and greenspace to development. Any park and greenspace development or reduction must have District 4 community consent and guaranteed equivalent replacement. As housing mandates intensify, parks and open land will increasingly be targeted as ‘underutilized.’ They are not. They are the infrastructure of community health for recreation while also providing climate resilience and free places for public gathering.

1. Protect and expand District 4’s urban tree canopy. I will advocate for a formal Urban Forestry Initiative. Trees reduce urban heat islands, manage stormwater, improve air quality, and make neighborhoods more walkable. They are measurably cost-effective climate infrastructure. Working with PH Rec and Park and other stakeholders, we will develop a comprehensive plan to plant trees in District 4’s open spaces and introduce traffic-calming green medians along major thoroughfares like Taylor Boulevard and Morello Avenue, modeled after the successful Pleasant Hill Road redesign.

1. Expand District 4 park programming for all ages. In partnership with the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District, I will work to expand youth sports, hiking, biking, senior fitness, and community gardening because active parks are the most powerful community-building tools a city has. I will work with PH Rec and Park to develop funding mechanisms to upgrade Winslow Center off Taylor and Pleasant Hill Road to house multiple new programs (sports, senior fitness, community gardens) using joint partnerships and sponsorship with local organizations. I will work with our community stakeholders to connect open space trails in Paso Nogal, Las Juntas, Ridgeview Open Space, and Valley High Open Spaces so that a Pleasant Hill resident can walk or ride further without ever having to get in a car.

Climate Action Built on Transparency and Choice

1. Push for transparency with a public Climate Action Dashboard. I will champion full implementation of Pleasant Hill’s Climate Action Plan. This plan commits the city to a 40% greenhouse gas reduction by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2045. The dashboard should be a live, online tracker showing progress against specific milestones by city department, enabling residents to see whether the city is actually hitting its climate goals, not just sharing results during council meetings.

1. Advocate for EV charging infrastructure at District 4 parks, city facilities, and commercial centers. EV charging should be a convenient and easy choice for residents running errands and for ensuring that residents without home garages have access to charging options. EV charging should account for all electric mobility options such as cars, e-bikes, and scooters and should be available at the Winslow Center, Paso Nogal Park, John Muir Clinics, and Hillcrest Shopping Center.

1. Shift the focus from banning specific fuels to limiting impact. We can thoughtfully navigate California’s energy efficiency requirements under a Source Energy approach. In practice, builders can still choose gas or electric systems, but they must stay within a strict energy cap. Instead of banning one type of energy (like gas) over another, it would set a maximum total energy budget for new buildings and major renovations, based on “source energy”, a measure that includes both the energy used on-site and the energy lost during generation and delivery. That flexibility is what makes the policy effective: instead of mandating one solution, it nudges the city toward efficiency. Example: a new housing development might allow gas heating, but would include heat pumps and solar to stay under the limit, while a retail renovation might offset gas use by upgrading refrigeration, lighting, and building insulation.

Community Safety

A physician sees safety differently, not just as the absence of crime but as the presence of conditions that keep people healthy, mobile, and connected. We need urgent action on traffic calming, wildfire preparedness, and public safety reform. These proposals address each of those gaps with proven models and a clear commitment to results.

Safe Routes, Pedestrian Safety & Healthy Mobility

1. Establish a District 4 Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program. This is modeled on Dublin’s ‘Project Slow Zone’, the strongest traffic calming model in the Bay Area. The program allows residents to petition for engineering solutions on their streets: speed tables, traffic circles, bulb-outs, painted intersections, and signage. Projects are selected by data, not politics. For example, Morrello has a speeding and shade problem, so adding trees to a median would naturally slow traffic while introducing shade to the community.

1. Prioritize Measure K funds for District 4 pedestrian and bike infrastructure including protected lanes, sidewalk gap closures, and accessible connections between neighborhoods, schools, parks, and commercial corridors. Implement a Safe Routes to School program in District 4 with specific infrastructure on corridors to local schools: flashing crosswalk beacons, high-visibility striping, traffic calming near school entrances, and improved signage. The goal is a district where getting around without a car is safe and natural.

1. Expand Healthy Aging senior transportation. We can support independence by ensuring seniors can reach medical appointments, grocery stores, and community events without depending on others. Isolation is a documented public health crisis for older adults and transportation is often the only barrier. I will expand operations of the PH Senior Van and partner for paratransit options through CCTA. I would also advocate for bringing mobile video telehealth equipment to tech challenged seniors in collaboration with local health entities. I would encourage concierge ridesharing, like GoGoGrandparent, Uber Health, Lyft Concierge or Mobility Matters like they have available in Walnut Creek.

1. Pursue grant funding through California’s Proposition 68, the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, and CCTA’s active transportation programs by advocating for District 4’s inclusion in CCTA’s Vision Zero and Safe Streets funding pipeline. CCTA recently secured a $28.9 million federal award for bike and pedestrian safety projects across Contra Costa County. District 4 should be actively competing for its share. Construction of bike facilities in our city has been slow with 24 miles of completed bike facilities in 2020, with only 4 additional miles by 2023, averaging about 1 mile per year. The City has an ambitious plan to build out 67 total miles, so the city has 39 more miles to build that would take 4 decades at the rate the City is going. I would aggressively pursue funding to complete the remainder of the projects on an accelerated time line. To promote biking, I would add bike repair stations at all park facilities. For pedestrians, all major thoroughfares including Taylor, Morello, and Paso Nogal, should have sidewalks and protected crosswalks.

Wildfire & Fire Preparedness

1. Partner with the Diablo Fire Safe Council to bring their Cost-Share Defensible Space Program to District 4 residents. This would include funds for fuel reduction and defensible space work, using licensed contractors. This program is funded and available now; what is missing is active city promotion and outreach.

1. Advocate for District 4 residents input in the Regional Priority Plan. This is being developed by the Diablo Fire Safe Council for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. This planning tool identifies the highest-priority fuel reduction, water access, and evacuation route projects across the region. Getting District 4 projects on this plan now means access to future grant funding as it becomes available.

1. Support funding for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. Oppose any cuts to fire station coverage or staffing in or near District 4. Fire response times are directly tied to outcomes. The recent expansion of the Rodeo-Hercules district into CCCFPD shows that consolidation can be done but only when it strengthens, not weakens, coverage.

Public Safety

1. Move to establish an Independent Community Police Advisory Commission (PAC) that reports directly to the City Council. Our current commission lacks genuine oversight authority which makes it appear to hold just a public relations function. An empowered community commission should be able to investigate, report publicly, and request responses from the department to ensure that there is actual public oversight.

1. Support investment in Crisis Intervention Teams. I will work to expand the availability of trained mental health professionals who co-respond with or in place of officers to non-violent mental health crises, welfare calls, and substance use situations. This model produces better outcomes for individuals, reduces repeat calls, and lets officers focus where law enforcement skills are actually needed. I will work to strengthen the Pleasant Hill- Martinez Homeless CORE team by expanding hours to reflect that crises can happen at any time, and to advocate for a layer of case management and housing navigation that other Cities provide that Pleasant Hill does not.

Support Local Business

A thriving local economy starts with keeping storefronts filled, businesses supported, and daily necessities within reach for every resident. Pleasant Hill has the bones of strong commercial corridors but needs a more active approach to attract and retain the businesses that make a city livable. These proposals give the city practical tools to reduce vacancies, welcome new businesses, and protect what residents depend on.

Support Commercial Occupancy & Small Businesses

1. Advocate for a Pleasant Hill Commercial Vacancy Registry. Have city staff/planner research if a vacancy fee would be appropriate to help fill storefronts while using raised funds to support small businesses.

1. Establish a Commercial Vacancy Task Force. This group would meet bi-annually, maps every empty storefront and works with the Chamber of Commerce to actively recruit replacement tenants, and report publicly on progress.

1. Champion a pilot Storefront Activation Program. This would include licensing vacant spaces to pop-up vendors, rotating food concepts, and seasonal markets on short-term agreements to generate foot traffic and keeping corridors alive while permanent tenants are found. San Jose’s program filled more than 40 vacant storefronts within 18 months.

1. Actively support a mural program shaped by residents and local artists. Beautifying utility boxes, blank walls, and other overlooked surfaces with community murals makes everyday walks more pleasing for residents and makes Pleasant Hill more vibrant and worth stopping in. Cities like Walnut Creek have shown that public art draws foot traffic that supports local shops and restaurants, the same businesses that fund the services Pleasant Hill residents depend on.

Make Opening a Business in Pleasant Hill Easy

1. Work to cut permit approval times for new businesses moving into vacant spaces in half within two years. Walnut Creek now offers a 90-minute virtual Commercial Express Review for certain commercial tenant improvements so that projects can be approved in a single meeting. Pleasant Hill should build a comparable fast-track lane for businesses filling long-vacant storefronts.

1. Ensure any ‘Choose Pleasant Hill’ local purchasing campaigns include District 4. Partner with the Chamber of Commerce to celebrate areas beyond downtown. We need a renewed focus on District 4 businesses to drive foot traffic and remind residents of all we have to offer.

Prioritize Daily Necessities & Essentials

1. Push to establish Community Anchor Zoning protections. This would preserve space in District 4’s commercial corridors for the businesses residents depend on for daily life: full-service grocery, pharmacy, medical care, childcare, and affordable dining. As national chains exit California, cities that do not plan proactively risk becoming food and pharmacy deserts for residents without reliable transportation.

1. Work with property owners and the Chamber to actively recruit essential-service businesses to District 4. This could be accomplished through reduced permit fees, city-facilitated lease introductions, and direct outreach to grocery and pharmacy operators evaluating Bay Area locations.

1. Advocate for appropriately sized mixed-use zoning in the City. This would allow live-work units and small creative businesses above ground-floor retail that help limit vacancies long-term.

Transparent and Accountable

We need a City Hall accountable to residents, not outside influences. Residents deserve to see where their tax dollars go, why their councilmember voted the way they did, and why the person who becomes mayor was chosen. Pleasant Hill has gone too long without the structures that make that possible. These proposals are designed to change that and make transparency and accountability the standard.

Financial Transparency & Accountability

1. Promote a Budget Digital Dashboard. I will advocate for a public Financial Dashboard to track budget vs. actuals for current and prior fiscal years and allow the public to explore financial information by fund, department, revenues, or expenditures using simple filters and views. A dashboard will allow every resident to see exactly where city revenue comes from and how it is spent: public safety, infrastructure, administration, compensation, retirement, and debt service.

1. Be honest about the structural fiscal challenge and work toward structural solutions that don’t first consider raising taxes. Pleasant Hill voters approved a sales tax increase in 2016 on a promise of fiscal stability but the city’s own Long-Term Financial Plan still projects structural deficits through at least FY2028–29, which would place the City into a Cash Flow challenge. That sales tax revenue is roughly $4 million per year and is dedicated to capital projects, and is not enough to support the primary driver of ongoing deficits which is pension obligations.

1. Hold annual District 4 budget briefings open to all residents. I will host dedicated public meetings where city spending in our district is explained in plain language, prior commitments are reviewed, and residents can ask direct questions. Not a presentation, but a conversation that allows for transparency.

City Council Transparency & Accountability

1. Commit to no surprise votes on District 4. For every significant land use, budget, or policy decision affecting District 4, I will hold district meetings before the council vote so input is possible before the outcome is decided.

1. Advocate for a transparent, accountable mayor selection process. Under current Pleasant Hill practice, the mayor is selected by council vote. The selection process is opaque and can be subject to political deal-making. Several California cities use specific and predictable rotation succession rules adopted by ordinance, making the process transparent and public. I will push for Pleasant Hill to do the same.

1. Oppose any use of consent calendars or reduced notice periods to fast-track controversial items through without adequate public input. The October 2025 rezoning of 1,000+ parcels in a single meeting is exactly the kind of decision that deserved more time, more notice, and more community voice.

1. Champion a youth leadership internship program that places students inside city government, giving them real exposure to how civic decisions are made and creating a direct pipeline for the next generation of community leaders. Programs like this have worked in other California cities to build lasting civic engagement while holding elected officials accountable to mentoring the young people who will one day fill these seats.

Personal Transparency & Accountability

1. Hold quarterly Office Hours throughout District 4. At rotating locations and times, I will hold office hours so any resident can speak with me directly, without an appointment or a formal agenda. I understand working families, shift workers, and seniors may not make a Monday night City Hall meeting but still wish to participate in decisions shaping their lives.

1. Create a District 4 Community Advisory Council. I will develop an unofficial body of diverse neighborhood representatives, business owners, seniors, and students who meet with me regularly to raise concerns and hold me accountable between elections.

1. Commit to staying Independent and free from outside influence. I will always put Pleasant Hill residents and our community first. I am not tied to any political groups or political parties, which gives me the freedom to make the best decisions for the situation. I have committed to never taking PAC money, money from developers or real estate interests, nor money from political organizations, unlike what we’ve seen from councilmembers in the past.